Is it time for a challenge?

[stephbg]

I've been enjoying myself on LJ at the expense of many innocent bytes for a number of months now. In the beginning I liked it for the freedom from discipline, but over time I've come to enjoy constructing posts. They're still quick and dirty although not as dirty as dalekboy's, but I believe my writing standard has improved to a point where perhaps I should try a new game.



I know I can write professional business and technical text to publication standard and to order. With a bit more editorial effort I think some of my better posts would be up to the standard of many newspaper columns. What I haven't tried is to write fiction or entertainment (as text rather than performance) to order.

The key here is to respond to an external challenge, so please do me a favour and chuck some scenes, situations, genres or characters at me to practice with for a couple of hundred words. I know I could chase up writing exercises and storyline generators, but I'd rather do this on the basis of a request from a human. I guess the 12 memory dumps I wrote about my friends were a start for writing to order, but they were all out of memory.

Warning: I'll probably only do it if it's fun. I doubt I'll stir myself to do much in the way of research (although I do have a black belt 9th dan in google). By my very nature I will most likely take the piss no matter how the assignment starts. Don't be expecting a serious treatise on the ethics of world trade, unless it somehow involves bunnies.


If you have any editorial friends who are inclined to encourage new blood please pass this on so I can get as broad a range of ideas as possible. Who knows where it might lead? Fewer cat stories I expect.

Comments

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

Not as dirty as mine? As dirty?!

Right! If you think I've been dirty so far, just you wait! I'll write about concepts that make me shudder and want to hide in the dark!

Seriously good luck with the exercise :)

A story or scene about a private detective who has forgotten the name of their latest client and is trying to figure it out, while talking to them :P

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

Detective: "So how do you spell your name?"
Client (crossly): "I told you: J. O. N. E. S."

Fin
--
Actually there's an alternative version in my head featuring aliens, blood and public servants so we'll see how that comes out.

Re "dirty" I didn't mean it as a challenge. God help us all.

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

Something from the POV of one of the people you see in the train or stuck on the platform. Someone who sees you've got a seat in the chaos and who apparently knows what's going on.

I like trains too!

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

The idea that I know what's going on would certainly qualify as fiction :-)

[fred-mouse.livejournal.com]

there have been cat stories, there have been bird stories, there have been people stories. You seem to be sticking to chordates....

Not sure what to suggest. Maybe one of the education whether you want it or not links that drhoz puts out?

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I got a lot of squid out of my system when the only chapter of The Novel that saw the light of day about three years ago was the background colour on squid-based technology. The last drops of ink on the topic were extracted with the '101 Uses For a Dead (Or Possibly Live) Squid' panel I did at Swancon 2007. All actual science and images provided by drhoz, but I did the puppetry and remain very proud of the title and concept.

Maybe slime mould... hmmmm.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm still looking forward to reading The Novel...

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I was referring to The Second Novel, started with much fanfare three years ago and abandoned somewhat more quietly a few months later. At least this one is represented by piles of notes, New Scientist articles, some character studies and a whole chapter about Barry The Squid.

I *hope* you're not referring to the first The Novel which did at least limp to some kind of conclusion via a lot of bulk. I agree with Hemmingway when he said that all first novels should be thrown into the ocean. But hey, he liked the ocean.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

If I understand you correctly, the entire first paragraph of the comment to which I am now responding to is about The Second Novel, which features Barry The Squid. (I did entertain the prospect of 'this' referring to a third, but decided that that was probably a misreading on my part).

Given that interpretation, you may safely assume that it is the Second Novel that I have been looking forward to.

[writerjo.livejournal.com]

I like cat stories - the fiction I'm not writing at the moment is fairly catendated. My son tells me that the cats are his favorites, so I'm trying to get my human characters into competition. It's hard.

I've tried a couple of times (The Australian..nothing like aiming high!) to get print columns, but no luck! I would love to see you do it!! In fact, I'd like to see that useless Danny Katz replaced by you! You do comedy, you just do it better.

I particularly liked the train piece you've just done, specially the middle bits. I was reminded somewhat of Cold Comfort Farm, which is my favorite funny book.

Soo...I want a country city story reminiscent of that - mix up some American gothic with some...hmmm...goth?

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I want a country city story reminiscent of that - mix up some American gothic with some...hmmm...goth?

Remind me - did I *volunteer* for this?

The country smells funny.

Reminding you...

[writerjo.livejournal.com]

"The key here is to respond to an external challenge, so please do me a favour and chuck some scenes, situations, genres or characters at me to practice with for a couple of hundred words."

'The country smells funny' is an excellent start!